The heads on my 79 vette are cracked, so I figure since I've been wanting
to build my engine, I might as well start now.
The local mechanic told me to buy a set of 882 heads through him for 350 bucks.
He claims that with flattops and a decent camshaft, they will make my motor put out 300 rear wheel hp.
However, the tech books say that these heads are 76cc and are prone to cracking.
I was also looking at the 750 dollar a pair (complete) sportsman II heads. (BTW, will angle plug heads work in a c3 vette with headers, or will they interfere, and does anybody know if the sportsmans have accesory holes?)
I'm not sure which way to go. And I'm wondering if there is a middle of the road between those two options.
You can go with the 492 heads like the ones I have. They have accessory holes, 2.02/1.60 valves, 64cc chamber, 160cc intake (close to that). They have angled plugs and they work well with headers. But if you have the money for aftermarket heads, buy them. They flow much better than GM heads.
I was also looking at the 750 dollar a pair (complete) sportsman II heads. (BTW, will angle plug heads work in a c3 vette with headers, or will they interfere, and does anybody know if the sportsmans have accesory holes?)
I'm not sure which way to go. And I'm wondering if there is a middle of the road between those two options.
The Sportsman IIs have all of the accesory holes. Everything bolted up perfectly. They are a good streetable upgrade. As for a "middle of the road" World Products puts out a Stock Replacement (SR) line of heads that many here use with good results. They have good (better) combustion characteristic than stock heads. The SR "Torquers" has the 202 160 valve size and make for a good upgrade also. The price is reasonable. Check out their web page for more info.
Definitely go aftermarket if you can. You will regret it later. Most aftermarket designs are far superior to stock castings. You may even want to go aluminum and bump the CR a bit.
I must concur with everyone. Don't throw any money at old GM heads except as an absolute last resort. (Unless you go with Vortecs or something.)
The aftermarket has come a long way with cylinder heads and you can score yourself a brand-new set of S/Rs or similar for sometimes less money than you'd spend assembling and machining the stock stuff. Brand spanking new and they flow better, too--just bolt them on and go, daddy. You gotta love that.
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cylinder heads HELP!
